Suhina
Suhina (巣雛; Nestling, idiomatically "those who nestle") are a race of ancient spiritual beings who were said to be the "original" occupants of , even though no such name or society had already been established back then. History Awakening The first Suhina came into existence the same time the first conscious human being came into existence, an inscrutable date even the wisest and eldest among all races have forgotten. Fluttering which had been floating around aimlessly since the very beginning of the universe condensed in the light of the moon and the stars, forming a material body which was neither female nor male. The creature found himself dazzled about the beauty of nature around it and the magnificence of the skylights above, adoring and praising them. To it's right side was a vast and sparkling lake, which he immersed his body in. As the water mantled him, he felt how his soul resonated with the structure of the liquid, as it was gently torn apart into six separate pieces, a process void of any pain or unpleasant feeling. The six beings that had been born were three men and three women. Unlike the first being, which had been completely nude, these beings were fully dressed in such delicate clothes not a single crafter has ever been able to reproduce them. The men were named Chōnan (長男 First Son), Jinan (長男, Second Son) and San'nan (三男, Third Son), while the women were named Chōjo (長女, First Daughter), Jijo (次女, Second Daughter) and Sanjo (三女, Third Daughter). As soon as they awoke on the shore of the starry lake, Chōnan fell in love with Chōjo, Jinan with Jijo, and San'nan with Sanjo. They sealed the close bond they shared by picking a flower from the surface of the lake and presenting it to eachother. The flowers intertwined and, once planted, grew together in an incredibly beautiful golden tree that provided them shelter for the following night. The ripe apples that fell from it's branches were the first thing the creatures had ever tasted in their lives and remains till today the most delicious meal any being could ever consume. The next morning, the six still-unnamed creatures parted from the tree, but not before declaring it a sacred place of divinity, crossing the endless green planes that made up their dimension. It was in this day that they invented their language and - more importantly - started to develop music and poetry. After only a week the creatures had become highly intellectual, having advanced knowledge of about everything in nature, the skies, arts and the ability to manipulate through their music. They also gained a particular worship of birds, because of their beauty, grace and freedom when soaring through their skies and upon this decided to name themselves Suhina. First Souls On the eight day after their birth, there came the time that the first human being passed away. San'nan volunteered to cross over to the and bring back the spirit of the man, for it was an unspoken duty delivered upon the Suhina. The remaining five decided to build a school of some sorts for the soul, where they would inaugurate the spirit into the fine arts and make him literate, since even though the human world was still primitive, the afterlife was not in the very least. Weaving together a bridge by using his shakuhachi, San'nan arrived within the mortal world and performed a ritual that would later be named , by resting his hand atop of the man's forehead. The schooling of mortals proved a comfortable task, rebellious acts were almost never contemplated due the sheer fact that there was practically no other pleasant option to spend the afterlife. However, even though the cases were rare, there were still souls who pondered upon the thought of taking over the power of the Suhina. These had by now received many children, extending their original meager number of six to a great thirty-six. Henceforth, the Suhina decided to build two separate complexes: one containing the souls and houses of the passed souls, and once containing the residences and studios of the Suhina, receiving the name Torisu (鳥巣, Bird Nest). There were no walls or weapons used to restrict spirits from wandering into Torisu, as fabricating any kind of harmful tool was a practice strictly forbidden within the dimension, which was accompanied by the punishment of eternal banishment to , a dimension that was normally reserved for spirits the Suhina didn't consider worth transporting. Instead, the complex was circled with silver trees, which would automatically grow their leaves into a impermeable hedge should a soul come to close. It happened that some souls who had developed a particularly great amount of spiritual energy were taken into the Torisu and sometimes even mated with the Suhina. The hybrids that were produced out of this interracial intimacy had as much prowess in the art of manipulating spiritual energy as any Suhina, yet lacked the harmonious an peaceful mindset, only wanting to develop these abilities in the area of destruction, instead of administering them in the fine arts and using them to build and revive. The first and most powerful of these hybrids named himself Karyūdo (狩人, Man of Hunting) who, after being lectured heavily for his request of forging a weapon out of his soul, fled to Hueco Mundo. The Suhina charmed his passageway with a myriad of intricate spells, denounced by chantings that lasted hour after hour and filled the entire dimensional plane with an enormous spiritual pressure, so much that some of the weaker souls collapsed and had to be treated with immediate medical help. Return of Karyūdo Decades passed, and the city that housed the spirits gained the name Oshieshi (教え市, City of Teachings) as it expanded into a true utopia. Although the Suhina still served as teachers, guides and law enforcers (if it was even reasonable to call the ways within the Oshieshi "laws"), they allowed the souls to elect their own "major" of some sorts, and were free to build bathing houses, shops and entertainment buildings to their own likening. The Suhina had changed barely, still refraining from all earthly pleasures and only dedicating themselves to music, poetry, meditation, weaving and other fine arts. Because the numbers of the Suhina had increased considerably, now counting 144 members, there had been established a very loose hierarchy of some sorts, naturally ranking the most long-lasting Suhina at the top, with the first six being viewed as "kings and queens", although this title was practically only in name and not in power. Pilgrimages to the lake and the Golden Tree had become a common ritual, especially among the souls who had completed the Suhina teachings and wanted to behold the source of afterlife itself. On the day of a solar eclipse, which was an event of great celebration within Oshieshi and Torisu because the Suhina honored the moon conquering the sun, rumors rose about a cloaked figure resting atop a strange beast spying upon the two cities, who were both still void of any wall or defenses and were themselves only separated by a small road and the illustrious silver trees. When a descendant of Jinan set out to check on the rumors, he found no such existence, instead discovering traces of an abnormal spiritual signature which he locked inside a string of his shamisen. He then returned to Torisu, presenting the remain to his ancestor and his brothers, who were able to discern with the help of several ancient chantings that they contained bits of a Spirit-Suhina hybrid's features, concluding it must have been Karyūdo who somehow had returned from his exile. An immediate order to bolster the magical seals was given out, and seven of the most proficient magician set out for this task. On the moment the musicians reached the gate were Karyūdo was locked behind, they uncovered that the gate had been completely devastated, neglecting every spell that had been placed upon it, despite their immense strength. A swirling had now replaced it, staring down upon the group like a giant featureless eye. As the Suhina prepare to close and seal away the pathway, they are disturbed by the rustling of leaves, as a strangely familiar feature emerges from the bushy bank next to the road. It is the mounted and cloaked figure which had been whispered about, accompanied by a horde of fierce and strange-looking creatures, some humanoid, others bestial and others unidentifiable by any word the Suhina have invented. The cloaked figure reveals himself indeed as Karyūdo, saying this is his revenge, and addresses the monsters he has brought along as and . The Hollows attack, yet prove to be no match for the magicians who, despite lack of any combat training, are able to use their magical singing to practically influence anything they want, allowing them to simply cut a apart the monsters with a few gamuts and summon exploding birds and other energy constructs alike by hitting a few tones on their instrument. Karyūdo, clearly not surprised, simply grins as he pulls out the forbidden tool wherefore he was banned all those years ago: a katana. In the eyes of the Suhina, the sword is very crude, lacking any kind of grace or beauty and being plotted with nothing but the pure intent to kill and attain revenge. Nevertheless, the swiftness of the beast Karyūdo sits upon and the sharpness of the sword prove to be a close match to the seven's magical proficiency, but when Karyūdo throws in demonic spells of his own making, along with a devious beam of crimson energy, his abilities prove to much for the Suhina, resulting in all seven's demise. Deprived of his army, yet stronger than ever, Karyūdo quickly rides to the two afterlife cities, immediately wrecking havoc with a bombard of powerful energy beams within Oshieshi. The helpless civilians scream out in agony for the Suhina, who swiftly arrive to stop Karyūdo's rampage. A devastating battle ensues, and is eventually Chōnan who utters a self-sacrifice poem that binds him and Karyūdo in unbreakable chains before mantling both caster and victim in a heavenly light. When the flash fades away, the wrathful hybrid has disappeared but so has the first of the six. An era of great mourning initiates within the two cities, and the silver trees - for one day - no longer hinder souls in their path to tribute their honor at Chōnan's empty tomb. Instead, they sprout diamond roses, the dew drops from which plummet to the ground in a heart-whole and emotional symphony unlike anything human or even Suhina hands can produce. Sundering Following the death of Chōnan, an era of great political ruckus commenced within Torisu, eventually leading to the split of the the supporters of the three original couples. First there was the Sōtō family (相当, The Fair), who followed the widowed Chōjo and agreed to take upon the task of supreme authority. They became the most isolated of the Suhina, decreeing new laws from a distance without actually participating in any other conflicts. They were also the most skilled with the casting of pure, unaided magic, making them also the most mysterious of the three. The second was the Umai family (旨い, The Wise), who followed the couple of Jinan and Jijo and decided to start up the military of the cities, in order to establish an actual defense should an incident like the one with Karyūdo ever happen again. They were also the one to create the first Suwaeken (楚々剣, Graceful Blade), although it barely held any of it's later properties. The third, and final family was named Saku family (昨, The Last), following San'nan and Sanjo into a more spiritual and world-detached path. They remained loyal to he original philosophies of harmony and peace, shunning the creation of weapons by the Umai, and were also in charge of maintaining the shrine at the Golden Tree. Despite their new differences, the families held no hostile feelings towards each other at all, except for a few disagreements that were not uncommon even before the sundering. Reformations started within both cities, most notably the unification and rampart of both cities, although the two were still separated by each other through the use of high walls. The amount of souls had grown to such a number that Oshieshi was expanded vastly and divided into districts as well. Academies were now established within Torishu, were souls with spiritual awareness were trained as public controllers by the Umai family, their tasks consisting of maintaining peace and order within the different districts. These "policemen" were given a sword called Soraha (空刃, Empty Blade), which lacked any of the unique aspects and abilities the Suwaeken had, being nothing but an ordinary sword. Although the Suhina themselves were meager in numbers compared to the thousands of souls wandering throughout Oshieshi, but were still vastly more powerful than any number of them combined. Oshieshi became a flowering city, with both it's positive and negative aspects, yet remained quite peaceful and harmonious thanks to the efforts of the officers. The Sōtō had now acquired their own private chambers within the palace complex of the Suhina, segregating them from the outside world and only appearing to compose new laws and rules. They looked down on the souls of Oshieshi, regarding them as inferior and even shunned their fellow Suhina for meddling themselves with the "scum". The Saku, however, had forgone the social barriers completely, some of them living even amongst the other souls, proclaiming their philosophy of peace and harmony everywhere they went, assuring along with the military of the Umai a long-lasting era of tranquility within the cities of afterlife. First Shinigami A turning point of great importance occurred when the supreme dictatorship was called out by a member of the Sōtō family. Crowning himself king, he demanded dominance over every soul and Suhina within the joint cities, displaying a feat of arrogance and greed that was very unlike any other Suhina before him. This was greatly resented by every soul and Suhina, joining together in an attempt to overpower the greedy, yet incredibly powerful "soul king". Although the two races were initially cooperating, some blind idiots among the souls drew the conclusion that all Suhina were in fact against them, gathering a large group of men to assassinate a newborn Suhina when the mother was away. This sparked a great fury among the Suhina, who went on a rampage of devastation, killing more than half of the souls within the whole Oshieshi, bringing the afterlife the closest to zero population since it's very beginning days. It was during this time that a young and courageous patrol officer stood up as a leader, fighting to free the Oshieshi out of the hands of the Suhina, regardless of their initial intentions. The young man, named Ai (愛, Love), had recognized how the Suhina reflected their souls in their dances and their singing, giving them the immense power they carried. He had already been pondering why the Suhina were capable of doing so, and normal souls not. He believed that it was because of the gap of spiritual power between the two races, but due his own overwhelming amount, which he had been praised upon numerously, he was confident in the fact that he could manage the same feat. Henceforth, he poured all of his spiritual energy, along with his beliefs, willpower and everything he stood and fought for, into the Soraha he carried. What occurred was a never-seen-before happening, actually turning the lifeless and powerless sword into a sentient being with enormous abilities and the capability to actually face a Suhina in battle as an equal. Likening the blade to the illustrious Suwaeken, Ai named it (斬魄刀; literally, soul-cutter sword), because he believed it would be the weapon that would guide the souls into victory and would cut through the old-time traditions and domination of the Suhina. With this, he immediately achieved a state that would later be named "Shikai", although he held no knowledge of this. The assault on the Torisu palace was unorganized and bloody, as none of the souls except for Ai were able to survive more than a few moments against a Suhina. And even Ai had it though, because even with his power he could only match a Suhina one at a time, easily beaten when two or more joined their powers. The tide changed, however, when the Suhina-Soul hybrids decided to join the cause of the spirits, as they deemed them the most rightful. With only the Umai family to properly defend the Suhina, and the interminable number of souls descending upon Torisu, the remaining Suhina were forced to flee. Chased after by a sea of angry spirits, the families put aside their personal differences and joined for a final time, no longer desiring supremacy. The arrogant Suhina had been the first to be slain by the souls, and in the end the Suhina returned to their peaceful believes, like the Saku had always done, submerging their bodies into the lake of origin, like the first being had done so many centuries ago, scattering back into the moon- and starlight they originally were. Their task had been completed, the afterlife had been constructed into a livable place where souls could reside happily. Legacy After the Suhina had disappeared, the Golden Tree was felled and the shrine was desecrated, although Ai kept a branch of the tree as a sacred remembrance. Ai learned his people how to form a blade of their soul like he had done, and he named it zanpakutō, after the name of the first soul blade. Oshieshi and Torisu were unified under the name Soul Society, and Torisu was renamed as Seireitei, were the military force of the Soul Society would be settled. Over the years, the would be formed, although that is another story. The Suhina-Soul hybrids that had fought along with the Souls lost their immortality and their youth, dying nothing but a hundred years after the ending of the Suhina without leaving any reproduction. The existence of the Suhina became a secret over the years, and eventually the decided on a story that involved the Shinigami and royal family creating all dimensional planes, in order to avoid groups that would begin to praise the Suhina and possible try to reawaken them. Recently, however, it was discovered that Suhina are born again from time to time when a great conflict is near within the Soul Society, such as Hana. Further information about these rare events is unknown. Personality & Traits Powers & Abilities Although the Suhina originally existed as a peace-loving race who only used their powers for the good and the pure, this situation was required to change when the first acts of violence arose among both ordinary souls and the Suhina themselves. Despite this, the Suhina kept their power sin the theme of harmony and peace, and not one of their uncorrupted abilities was only capable of dealing harm. : Compared to shinigami-levels, Suhina possess vastly more greater reserves of spiritual energy, where even unexperienced children house beyond-captain levels. The most defining trait, however, is that a Suhina can freely adjust the nature of their energy, making it capable of revitalizing life as wall as destroying any obstacle in their path. Trained warriors and magicians of the Suhina can perform this on a whim, but for untrained members the nature of their energy is largely dependent on their emotions and overall personality. Immortality: Blessed with the ability to live forever, in this aspect the Suhina once more set themselves apart from the Shinigami who, despite being known for living thousands of years, could never grasp the secrets of true immortality. The Suhina can still die of unnatural methods, although they are immune to all diseases and far more durable than Shinigami, capable of surviving assaults that would normally be fathal to even the toughest of Shinigami. The greatest danger for the Suhina are the Suhina themselves, as they are the only ones who can quickly dispatch of each other in battle and often commit involuntarily suicide when experimenting with Uguisu goes wrong. *'Eternal Youth:' Although they are born as children and grow up at a rather normal rate, it is known that Suhina don't age beyond a certain point in their early adultery, retaining a young appearance even if they have survived for thousands of years. Ancient Suhina are to be recognized by their voice, which will often be crackling and broken in comparison to the smooth voices of not-so-old fellows. Kagura (かぐら, "god-entertaining dance"): The Suhina devised a rapid-movement art millennia before the appearance of earning them the rightful title of original inventors. However, contradictory to the Shinigami Shunpo, which was created as a way of battle, Kagura was originally a dance used to honor nature and life itself for it's beauty, which contained rapid, yet beautiful movements which left afterimages like paint strokes on an empty canvas. When it was adapted for battle use, the style retained it's dance-like attributes, being revolving, flexible and awe-inspiring unlike the stiff and predictable motion ways of other races. When a full-fledged Suhina began his "dance", it is said that no other being could even perceive the pathway of his motions until seconds later, rendering them capable only of staring in awe and waiting for the Suhina to end his pattern in a lethal strike. Immense Intellect & Understanding: Suhina possess an innate wisdom that transcends most other being's without having to learn or study, and also learn and comprehend the world around them much faster than another creature would, generally rendering their intellect greatly elevated above another. In battle, they would immediately grasp the strategy and reasoning of an opponent, countering it successfully without the slightest need of intense reflectivity. It is said that the only way a Suhina could be outsmarted was when their mind was clouded, such as during the upcoming of the first shinigami, when the Suhina had incorrectly developed the idea of being almost divine creatures. Uguisu Uguisu (鴬, Nightingale) is the term used to refer to the spells of the Suhina, usually administered through the use of songs and poems. There are no "general" Uguisu, every Suhina has to rely on is or her own abilities to form their own unique Uguisu. It does happen sometimes, however, that spells are passed down on children or close friends, which is considered a great honor since it takes years of practice and trying to devise a functional and effective Uguisu song or poem. In terms of administration, poems are commonly considered more powerful than songs, but are also harder to master and utilize in any given situation. This is because there is some kind of "guiding system" for building up an Uguisu song, while there is no such thing for poems. This guide is based on the notes dominating within the song, which will produce different effects depending on said note. These are classified using the Solfège system. Suwaeken List of Spells *'Kōbika' (交尾歌, Attraction Song); A song that is actually pretty common in today's Soul Society, often being sung to children before they go to sleep, but is actually a remainder of the Suhina's age of glory. The song is capable of calling mythical creature's to the singer's side. The beast summoned depends on the vocal color of the user itself, but will always be the same when sung by that person. Behind the Scenes The Suhina were inspired by the Elves in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and somewhat by the portrayal of Elves within Bernhard Hennens works.